Tape coil winder



` Jan. 5, 1937. las.y I ASON AL TAPE COIL WINDER Filed Jan. l2,` 1955 mvENToRs EWM/m ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1937` UNITED) STATES PATENT oFFicEL- n 2,066,891 j TAPE .coIL WINDER Edward S. Larsonfand Harold A. Wahlstrand, Chicago,'Ill.,-assignors to TeletypeCorporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware f ApplicationkJanuary 12, 1935, Serial No. 1,456 e 12 claims.` (c1. 242-55) The present' invention relates to tape winding apparatus and f is "particularly concerned with take-up apparatus'forcoiling tape ejectedirom telegraph apparatus under variable conditions and speeds of operation."` n n 4 `An object of the presentinvention is the pro-` vision of a., power-operated device whichis simple, durable,.and capableof` winding ejected tape with isuiiicient rapidity to accompanyv telegraph apparatus capable` of constant or variable n speeds of a operation.'`

The present inventionieatures a irictionally driven tape Winder having antape slacknsensingmeans that is governed by the quantity of ejected tape in permitting or suspending the applicationV of power to a winding reel. `Inadditiori theV o ing'nposition, during which movement' it opens a talle stop switch. The latter ,functions to open a circuit forenergizing the operating motor, of the,unitn a i The unit also includes a buzzer that is electricallyrarranged in, series with the Vmotor but 35 which `is ordinarily` shuntediby aswitchrthat is `mechanically vactuated when the accumulation oi` tape in aacoil becomes great enough so,` that w the coil acquires a `predetermined diameter.

When this occurs; the periphery ofthe coil coming into engagement with the ilast mentioned switch opens the, shunt, cutting the buzzer in series with the motor and resulting inan audible signal Vwhile also` concurrently `arresting the i motor by reason of thel` high resistancef the u 45 buzzer operating element whichis located in the n motor circuit.

`For a more comprehensive `understanding or the `presentiinvention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and to the following specification in which like` designating characters` indicate similarparts throughout, and in N Fig. l is aside elevation of` a tapecoil Winder embodying certain features of the `present in-.` vention; l o

j Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus indicated in Fig. 1; l n

Fig.. 3 isa detailed sectional view taken. ap` proximately on line 3-3 of Figf2, and

Fig. 4 isa. wiring diagram featuring the electrical hookup of the apparatus indicated in the afouedescribed figures.

j VThe reference character II indicates 'generally a basevcasting upon which the essential operating. elementsare mounted. An enveloping housing, not shown, may be employed if desired, which mayenclose aportion ofthe mechanism excepting the reel and the tape stop arm about to be described. A small electric motor is indicated at I2 and is provided with e. worm gear I 3 with which is `drivesfworrri wheel I4. `'I'he latter is carried 'upon a horizontal shaft I5 and is frictionallyheld by apacking assembly I6 and spring spreader` I'I.

The shaft I5 is journaled at I8 and I9 in a pair, of standards 2I and`22th`at are suitably mounted in an upright position upon the base casting II. On its opposite end, shaft I5 carries secured to it a spool 23 tapered slightly as best seen in Fig. 2. 'I'he spool has associatively secured to it a flange disc 24 and, to permit the starting end of a tape to be quickly andreadily secured, the spool or arbor 23 has formed with it a series of inwardly extending notches 25 affording acute angular relation with af tangent coincident with the `incoming tape. To diminish the mass of the reel or arbor 23, its internal portion is hollowed away as best indicated at 26, Figs.

1 `and 2. Peripheralsections of thelreel are also v cutaway as indicated at 21, and in the flange 24,

elongated holes 2B are` provided in registration with the out away sections 2'I so as to permit an operator to insert his index finger and thumb for removing the tape coils after they. have been completed? The taper` of the-spoolr as aforo--VV described also assists toward this end.

, Ordinarily the frictional engagementbetween the drivenvwheel I4 andthe shaft I 5 might be eX- pected to operate so as to afford a slip when the tape 29 becomes taut. This has not been found expedient, however, because of the necessary frictional resistance in the elements I6 as compared l.

with thesusceptibility to rupture and disguration on the part of the perforated tape 29; VAccordingly, means are provided whereby even slight resistances to the movement of the tape 2S, causing thelatter to become taut, irrimediately suspends the vdrivingconnection between the vmotor `I2 andthe reel 23, preventing any damage to the tape 29 whichhmight otherwise ensue. n, n i i This is obtained by the provision of a gear 3| loosely carried by shaft I5 that is adapted to drive a pinion 32 formed with the stud shaft 33 pivotally carried by trunnions 34 formed in the standards 2| and 22. The gear 3| isr loosely carried upon shaft I5 and is driven thereby through the instrumentality of a ratchet wheel 35 and pawl 36 that is pivotally secured on one side of the gear wheel 3| and is spring urged into engagement with the ratchet 35.

The aforedescribed pawl and ratchet structure permits the free movement of the reel 23 and shaft I5 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, when the gear wheel 3| becomes immovable by reason of the locking apparatus about to be described. In this way the tape 29 may be unwound from the reel 23 as for purposes of inspection, following which the driving motion of reel 23, in a counterclockwise direction, may quickly rewind the withdrawn section of the tape and reinstate normal winding operation.

The shaft 33 carries a pair of vanes 31 which are rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3as the reel 23 is moved in a counterclockwise direction.

A so-called tape stop arm 38 is pivotally carried upon a shaft 39 and comprises a bail section 4| having a pair of ears 42 to one of which there is secured an elongated section of rod which properly forms part of the arm 38 and which terminates with a perpendicular section 43 turned downwardly as at 44 to conne and align the incoming tape 29.

The shaft 39 is secured to the standards 2| and 22 by set screws 45 and serves to also support a larger bail 46 which surrounds the aforedescribed bail 4| and has at one of its ears 41 a switch actuating projection 48, see Figs. 2 and 3. A toggle spring 49 secured at one end to the base casting and at its other end to the binding post 5| tends to maintain the bail 46 in either of its extreme positions. The other ear of bail 46 is elongated and forms a guide 52 for assisting in confining the tape 29 as it is rolled into coils.

At its opposite end, guide 52 is cut away as at 53 to afford a finger piece whereby the guide may be manually rotated in 'opposition to spring 49 from the position indicated in solid lines in Fig. 1 to that indicated in broken lines, permitting the tape coil to be removed ory a new coil to beY started. As the bail 46 is rocked about shaft 39, it engages a screw head 54 of a screw carried by the internal bail 4I, causing the latter to be simultaneously rotated about shaft 39 and to assume a position approximately as that indicated in broken lines in Fig. l, or until a suitable stop element is encountered. As the internal bail 4| is rocked counterclockwise', a lip 56 lintegrally formed with it moves from a position such as that indicated in full lines in Fig. 3 to that indicated inrbroken lines, coming into the path of one or the other of the revolving vanes 31 and arresting the movement of shaft 33 thereby. The resistance to motion on the part of shaft 33 acting through pinion 32 arrests gear 3|, which through pawl 36 and ratchet Wheel 35 arrests shaft I5. Thereafter the motor I2, continuing to drive gear I4, causes the latter to slip between its friction discs I6.

The raising of tape stop arm 38 either by manual actuation of guide 52 or by the taut condition of the tape 29 causes the projection 56 to rise sufficiently so that it is presented into the path of the revolving vanes 31, blocking the next one of these elements which it encounters. If the arm 52 is rotated into its broken line position, its extension 48 recedes from contact button 51,

. as will be noted from Fig. 4, breaking the circuit originating at battery or current source 59 and continuing over line 6| through the contact 58, line 62, to the motor I2, thence out over lines 63 and 64, contact pair 65, lines 66 and 61 to the opposite source of the current potential 59.

When a coil becomes large enough in diameter so that its periphery contacts the insulated roller 68, a slightly further enlargement thereof depresses the contactor 69 of contact pair 65, Withdrawing it from engagement with its contact point and breaking the circuit as noted in Fig. 4. In this case, however, the circuit is diverted at point 1I of line 63, continuing thereafter over line `12 through the high resistance Winding of buzzer 13, thence out over lines 14 and 61. The resistance of motor I2 is insufficient to impair the operation of buzzer 13, therefore the latter, under the aforedescribed circumstances, renders an audible signal, indicating that a full roll of tape has been wound. The resistance of buzzer 13, however, in series with the operating circuit of motor I2, suflices to impair the operation of the latter, causing the motor tovbe arrested simultaneously as the audible signal is sounded.

While the present invention has been explained and described with reference to a particular mechanism and embodiment, it will be understood that numerous modifications and variations may be instituted without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended to be limited in the concept of this invention to any of the details illustrated in the accompanying drawing nor to the specific language of the foregoing specification except as indicated by the hereinafter appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus, an electric motor, an electric alarm device, and a circuit connecting said motor and said device with a source of current potential, including a circuit breaker arranged in parallel with said alarm device and adapted when opened to introduce said device in series with said motor.

2. A tape Winder including an electric motive power supply source, an electric alarm device, a circuit connecting said power source and said alarm device with an operating potential, and a switch controlled by said tape Winder for shunting said alarm device.

3. A tape Winder including a reel, a motor, frictional driving connection between said motor and said reel, a circuit between said motor and a source of current supply, and a resistance element in series with said motor under the control of tape wound on said reel to arrest the operation of said motor.

4. In a tape winding mechanism, a frictionally driven Winding shaft, a gear secured to said winding shaft, a tributary shaft driven by said gear, a pair of revolving elements carried by said tributary shaft, and a stcp member controlled by predetermined conditions of a tape to be coiled by said winding mechanism comprising a member presented into or withdrawn from the path of said revolving elements for thereby arresting said Winding shaft and preventing its response to its frictional driving medium.

5. In a power driven coil Winding mechanism, a main operating shaft, a Winding spool carried by said shaft, a tributary operating shaft driven by said main operating shaft, means for controlling said main operating shaft through said tributary shaft, and pawl and ratchet mechan nism for permitting the free movement of said main operating shaft in one direction independently of said tributary shaft.

6. In a tape Winding mechanism, a frictionally driven winding shaft, a gear carried by said winding shaft, a tributary shaft driven by said gear,`

revolving elements carried by said tributary shaft, single directional driving engagement between said winding shaft and said tributary shaft, and a stop member controlled by a condition of the tape coil on said winding shaft including a memberpresented into or withdrawn from` the path of said revolving elements for arresting said winding shaft.

7. In a tape winding mechanism, a winding shaft, a motorfor rotating said shaft, a frictional driving element between said motor and said shaft, a plurality of Vanes driven by said shaft, a guide member rotatable into and out of operative position for aligning tape wound on said shaft, and a tape sensing arm comprising an element responsive to a taut condition of said tape `said shaft yieldable to predetermined resistance to rotation by said shaft, a guide member rotatable into operative position for aligning tape wound on said shaft, a tape sensing arm responposition for arresting said motor, and ratchet means associated with `said shaft for permitting the unwinding of the tape during the arrested condition of said shaft and motor.

9. In a tape winding mechanism, a frlctionally driven winding shaft, a gear loosely carried by said shaft, pawl and ratchet engagement between said shaft and said gear for permitting the in` dependent rotation of said gear in one direction, and a stop member for arresting said shaft operable through the intermediate agency of said gear.

l0. In a vtape winding mechanism, a horizontally disposed winding shaft having a reel carried thereby to wind coils of flat stock material, a motor for driving said shaft, frictional driving means between said motor and' said shaft, a stop element for arresting the response of said shaft to said motor, and means to permit the free rotation of said shaft in a direction opposite to its Winding rotation comprising a gear carried by said shaft constituting the intermediary between said shaft and said stop means, and pawl and ratchet connection between said gear and said shaft. it

11. A winding apparatus comprising an arbor shaft, an arbor control shaft, and gear means connecting said arborv shaft and said control shaft including binding means operative to secure said gear means to one of said shafts in the Winding direction only, and to permit slip connection in the opposite direction.

12. A tape Winder comprising a reel, an electric motor, frictional driving connection between said electric motor and said reel, a circuit connecting said motor with a source of current supply, brake means for arresting the rotation of said reel, and means under the control of a pivoted guide arm for Vinitiating said brake into operation and for concurrently breaking said circuit connection.

EDWARD S. LARSON. HAROLD A. WAHLSTRAND. 

